Hug Me Brother!
by LisaMichelle25
Summary: Grant definitely wasn't the type to randomly reach out and hug you. Neither was Leo really. But on 6 occasions during times of stress and chaos Grant and Leo found themselves doing what neither of them ever thought they'd do - they hugged each other. Even the whole team witnessed once. They'd become just like brothers and they liked to hug! (Part 1 of my Hug Me Brother! verse)


**Author's Note: Writing this is my way of coping with the fallout from Season 1 which is basically total denial that none of it ever happened, Grant was never revealed to be HYDRA, his friendship with Leo flourished during their time on the team together and they both eventually became like brothers to each other as time went by. :) Also, this fic is part of a 3 part mini series I've called my ****_Hug Me Brother! Verse, _****to which you'll find the second continuation in ****_The Flour Fight Brothers _****and the third continuation in ****_That's A Really Huge Flowerpot. _**

**(My inspiration for the title ****_Hug Me Brother! _****for this little mini series of mine comes from the TV Show ****_Drake &amp; Josh _****if anyone recognises it).**

**I hope you enjoy reading this fic and will let me know what you think! ^-^**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.**

* * *

**Hug Me Brother!**

* * *

Grant Ward didn't do hugs.

Grant Ward didn't do showing affection.

Grant Ward didn't do letting people know he cared about them.

But even Grant Ward had to admit to himself that sometimes he failed miserably.

Because Grant Ward did occasionally do hugs.

Because Grant Ward did occasionally show affection.

Because Grant Ward did occasionally let people know he cared about them.

And especially when it came to his fellow teammate Leo Fitz.

* * *

**I.**

The first time Grant ever let his guard down and hugged Leo, taking them both completely by surprise, was after they'd returned from the two man mission to South Ossetia. It had been late at night when everyone else on their team were all fast asleep in their respective bunks.

But that night neither Grant nor Leo could sleep and had instead found themselves in the kitchenette for a midnight snack.

"Great minds think alike I see" said Grant, as he walked into the kitchenette a little after midnight and saw Leo rummaging through the cupboard where all of the candy was stashed.

"Huh?" said Leo, as he turned to see Grant walk into the kitchenette. "You wanted some candy too?"

"God, _no!_ I prefer my teeth not to rot thank you!" chuckled Grant. "I meant we're obviously both here for a midnight snack."

"You're missing out on the deliciousness that is chocolate!" said Leo, as he sat down on one of the stools next to the kitchen counter with a giant bar of chocolate in his hand.

"Yeah, and you're asking for a trip to the dentist after you eat that!" said Grant, shaking his head at Leo ripping the wrapper off of the chocolate bar and then instantly taking a gigantic bite out of it afterwards.

Leo simply shrugged his shoulders while flashing Grant a look that clearly indicated _'My teeth, my problem buddy.'_

Grant simply sighed in response as he then set about making himself a nice healthy sandwich to eat.

"Put anymore lettuce in that sandwich and you'll be turning into a rabbit, Ward" said Leo after a few minutes of watching him make his sandwich.

"Perhaps, but at least I'll be a rabbit with healthy teeth!" smirked Grant.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Ward?" said Leo, furrowing his brows at him.

"Come again?" asked Grant, as he looked up at Leo, confused.

"You're laughing and joking with me and acting all nice" replied Leo. "It's not like you at all."

"Blame South Ossetia" shrugged Grant, as he resumed making his sandwich.

"What do you mean?" asked Leo curiously, taking another bite out of his bar of chocolate.

"I guess you could say it made me realise what's important" answered Grant, as he picked up his now completed sandwich and spun around to face Leo. "Like occasionally letting my guard down and allowing myself to laugh and joke about with my friends."

"And you consider me as one of your friends?" smiled Leo.

"Of course you're my friend, Fitz" smiled Grant, as he walked around the kitchen counter to stand beside him and patted him on his back. "You had my back throughout that mission and refused to leave me behind even when I told you to."

"That's what friends are for, Ward" said Leo meekly.

"And I couldn't ask for a better friend than you, Fitz" said Grant, as he wrapped his arm around Leo from the side, crushing him to his chest from a side angle without even thinking about what he was doing and just hugging him to his chest quite happily, taking them both completely by surprise.

"Umm..." said Leo a little awkwardly, trailing off, because Grant hugging him had most definitely taken him by complete surprise.

"Uhh..." said Grant, as he released his grip and stepped back a little clumsily due to still being in utter shock and with only himself to blame.

"I'm gonna go back to my bunk..." said Leo, nodding at Grant as he rose to his feet.

"...and I'm gonna head back to mine too" said Grant, nodding back at Leo.

"Goodnight, Ward" said Leo, as he turned and set off towards his bunk.

"Goodnight, Fitz" said Grant, as he turned in the opposite direction and set back off towards his own bunk.

* * *

**II.**

The second time Grant hugged Leo was in the middle of all the chaos that went on all around the team during Agent Coulson's abduction. Centipede were holding him somewhere, though they didn't quite know where at the time, and Agent Victoria Hand had taken charge of The Bus while trying to track him down.

"That bloody woman frustrates me so much!" yelled Leo, as he stormed into the lab looking angry and as if he'd been yelling.

"I'm guessing you mean Agent Hand?" asked Grant, walking out of the stock room in the far corner towards Leo after being alerted to his presence from his loud yelling.

"Who else?! All I did was try to defend Skye and how kicking her off the plane wasn't acceptable at all but she just about bit my bloody head off!" sighed Leo exasperatedly.

"Agent Hand doesn't care about anyone but herself, not even Agent Coulson" sighed Grant. "I don't agree with Skye being kicked off the plane either but what Agent May told me in the cockpit is right. Skye does what she does best away from prying eyes. If anyone can find Agent Coulson then it's Skye."

"Yeah, I know" grumbled Leo. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to Skye while she's out there all alone. We've already lost Agent Coulson and I don't want to lose Skye too. At this rate there will be none of us left."

"We haven't lost Agent Coulson, Fitz" said Grant, as he walked over to him and came to a stop by his right side. "We'll find him with Skye's help and then we'll go and get him. We'll be a team again soon, okay?"

"I hope so, because I don't think I could cope if Agent Hand was our new boss full time" sighed Leo.

"Trust me when I say that none of us could" chuckled Grant.

"Do you really believe we'll find Agent Coulson?" asked Leo, frowning.

"I do" nodded Grant. "Have faith, Fitz."

"I'm trying" sighed Leo heavily. "But I seem to be failing."

"Try harder, Fitz" said Grant, as he ruffled his hair and pulled him towards his chest for their second side angle hug. "We gotta keep the faith, yeah?"

"You're right, we do" smiled Leo, as he patted Grant on his back and hugged him back a little awkwardly.

"That's the spirit!" said Grant, smiling back, as he quickly turned away and left the lab briskly.

* * *

**III.**

The third time Grant hugged Leo was after Skye had been shot twice while trying to capture Ian Quinn. Skye's shooting and the fear of losing her had greatly affected each member of their team. Both Grant and Leo had tried to keep themselves together and from breaking down too much around the others, since they both wanted to be strong for their fellow teammates while also knowing it's what Skye would've wanted them to do.

But when they'd found themselves alone together at the bar on The Bus they'd allowed themselves to let their guards down around each other and had discussed what they'd really been feeling about everything that had happened.

"Share some Scotch with me?" asked Leo, as he took a seat next to Grant at the bar.

"Do you even drink Scotch?" asked Grant curiously, as he poured him a glass and slid it across to him.

"As the saying goes there's a first time for everything" said Leo, taking a sip and grimacing a little as he did.

Grant just grinned at his grimace, as they both then settled into a comfortable silence while every so often taking a sip of their drinks.

"I feel like it's all my fault" said Leo sadly, breaking the silence between them after a few minutes.

"What's your fault?" asked Grant, glancing over at him.

"Skye getting shot" answered Leo with a shaky sigh.

"How is that your fault, Fitz?" asked Grant, frowning. "You didn't pull the trigger. Ian Quinn did. He's the one with Skye's blood on his hands, not you."

"I could've stopped her from going in alone though, Ward" replied Leo, looking over towards him, his eyes starting to well up with unshed tears. "But I didn't. I just let her go and I never even tried to stop her."

"Because you knew deep down that you wouldn't have been able to. You know as well as I do that you can't tell Skye what to do or stop her from doing something once she's set her mind on doing it" sighed Grant. "It's not your fault, Fitz, so don't blame yourself. Even I couldn't have stopped her from going in alone if she was determined enough."

"You would've at least tried though" said Leo sadly.

"Fitz, stop it, okay? Don't do this to yourself. It's not your fault and no one blames you" said Grant, as he reached out and squeezed his arm reassuringly. "And neither would Skye."

"She's going to wake up, isn't she?" asked Leo ever so quietly.

"Yes, she will, because we're all going to make damn well sure that she does" said Grant as reassuringly as he could. "I'm not gonna let her go without a fight."

"Because you care about her?" asked Leo with a small smile.

"I care about everyone on our team" replied Grant after pausing to think about how he wished to answer exactly.

"Nice save, Ward" smirked Leo, taking a sip of his Scotch. "You should tell her how you feel. Life is short after all and I think after what's recently happened lately that it's been proven to be more than true."

"Maybe I will" sighed Grant, as he too took another sip of his Scotch before then settling into a comfortable silence with Leo once more.

"If the worst happens and Skye doesn't make it I'll never forgive myself..." said Leo, his breath hitching as he hiccupped between doing his best at stopping his sobs from escaping and his tears slowly starting to fall, yet failing in the process miserably.

In that moment Grant did the only thing he could think of to comfort his friend, knowing that in that moment it's what he needed the most. So he stood to his feet, pulled Leo to his, tugged him into his arms for a hug and proceeded to wrap his arms tightly around his closest friend on the team.

As soon as Grant tugged him into his arms against his chest all Leo could do was wrap his own arms around one of his closest friends on the team, next to Jemma of course, and cry lightly onto his chest.

They remained hugging each other for a long time, neither one caring if they were spotted or not, because right then they both silently agreed that they had both really needed that hug from each other.

And it was a hug that Agent Coulson had witnessed.

But he'd never alerted them to his presence, instead just watching them both silently from afar, a small smile spread across his face, because to him Grant had looked like a big brother comforting his little brother and with his little brother more than happy to let him.

* * *

**IV.**

The fourth time Grant had hugged Leo had been during his brief stint he'd spent in the interrogation room following his shooting of Thomas Nash for apparently no reason other than simply letting his emotions getting the better of him.

"Hey there" said Leo, as he entered the interrogation room and closed the door behind him. "I thought you might like some company."

"Sure thing" smiled Grant, as he watched Leo sit down in the chair on the other side of the table. "First Skye and now you."

"I would've been first but Skye wanted to be so..." shrugged Leo. "...how are you doing in here?"

"It feels weird being on the other side of the table that's for sure" sighed Grant. "But it's not like I don't deserve it. I should never have shot Thomas Nash."

"Then why did you shoot him, Ward?" asked Leo curiously.

"He threatened my team" replied Grant. "I was protecting you all."

"Really? You're going with that?" said Leo with a sigh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Grant, quirking a brow.

"You were protecting Skye and we both know it" smiled Leo. "He threatened her and you eliminated the threat against her."

"Last time I checked Skye was a part of my team and I protected her, so, yeah..." said Grant, frowning at Leo's smirk.

"Here's hoping Agent Coulson goes easy on you so you can man up already and maybe ask Skye out on a date or something!" grinned Leo.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up there" said Grant, sighing. "We both know I'm facing a review board for my actions."

"They have to go easy on you when they learn why you did it though" said Leo.

"Maybe, but then again maybe not. I shouldn't have done it, Fitz. I don't regret what I've done, because it kept Skye safe. I'm prepared to face the consequences and accept the responsibilities for my actions" sighed Grant.

"If I'm asked I'll vouch for you when needed" smiled Leo.

"Thanks, Fitz" smiled Grant. "But you don't need to do that."

"Yes I do, because I can't..." said Leo, trailing off before he'd finished.

"Because you can't what?" asked Grant curiously. "What were you going to say, Fitz?"

_"You'relikeabigbrothertomeandIdon'twantotloseyouokay?"_ answered Leo really fast and quickly, avoiding Grant's eyes the whole time.

Grant couldn't help but smile and chuckle at that. He'd understood every word since it was also a habit of Skye's talking that fast from time to time when she was a little embarassed or flustered over what she wanted to say to you. "I'm not going anywhere, Fitz."

_"IreallyhopesobecauseIneedyouaroundbecauseIquitelikehavingabigbrother"_ mumbled Leo, once again really fast and quickly.

"You know that I can understand you, right?" chuckled Grant. "Quit talking like that, Fitz. There's no need to. I think of you like a brother too, okay?"

"You do?" smiled Leo, perking up a little at hearing that as he looked over at Grant.

"Yeah, I do" smiled Grant. "I miss having a little brother sometimes."

Leo just nodded at that knowing better than to ask Grant anything about his real little brother as it was a touchy subject with him and he didn't want to upset him. "I better get going. I told Agent Coulson I would only be a few minutes. He'll be your next visitor if you hadn't already guessed by the way."

"I'd guessed he would be" nodded Grant, as he rose to his feet along with Leo.

"I'll see you later, Ward" said Leo, as he turned to leave.

"Can't a brother get a quick hug these days?" chuckled Grant.

"Seriously? Now you're asking instead of just doing?" smirked Leo.

"Oh, shut up and just hug me!" smirked Grant, as he tugged Leo towards him and crushed him tightly to his chest, wondering what the hell had gotten into him the whole time as this was so unlike him.

"Anytime, big bro" said Leo, as he happily hugged Grant back just as tightly while smiling to himself the whole time. This was so unlike Grant but if Leo was honest with himself he kinda lived for these moments and brief hugs from Grant who was by far his closest male friend on the team and one he now definitely considered to be like an older brother to him.

"Until next time, lil' bro" chuckled Grant, as he released him from their hug and ruffled his hair afterwards.

"Until next time indeed" grinned Leo, as he whacked his hand away from his hair playfully, before turning and leaving the interrogation room with a smile.

* * *

**V.**

The fifth time Grant had hugged Leo had been after the world around them had pretty much started going to complete and utter hell.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen and was now branded a terrorist organization while HYDRA had risen from the shadows to create chaos. Added to all of that everyone was now under the assumption that Director Fury was presumed dead. Agent Garrett had later been revealed to have been the mysterious Clairvoyant all along, a revelation that had shocked everyone and one none of them had ever seen coming.

The fifth time that Grant had hugged Leo was also the hug that the rest of their teammates, which now included the extra addition of Agent Antoine "Tripp" Triplett, had all witnessed. It had made them all just stand back in silence in surprise at seeing Grant pretty much attack Leo in a panic when he'd seen him again after everything that had recently happened.

_"FITZ!"_ yelled Grant, as he practically lunged for him at full speed.

"Huh? Ward? Oh dear god, _what did I do now?!"_ exclaimed Leo, as all he could see was what looked to be a slightly angry Grant lunging right for him.

"Thank god you're alright!" said Grant in relief, as he wrapped his arms around Leo as tightly as he could when he reached him, instantly crushing him against his chest and making any and all attempts at escape impossible.

"Why wouldn't I be alright?" laughed Leo, as he returned the hug quite happily and patted Grant on his back reassuringly.

"Agent Coulson told me what went down with Agent Garrett!" said Grant, as he hugged Leo even tighter to his chest. "He told me he threatened to have you shot in your kneecaps!"

"Yeah, he did threaten that" said Leo, grimacing at the memory. "But luckily he didn't succeed."

_"I want to kill him for that!"_ growled Grant. "No one threatens my lil' brother and gets away with it!"

Leo couldn't help but smile at that as he hugged Grant back even tighter. Looking over his shoulder to the rest of their team he could see what Grant couldn't, which were the furrowed brows from Agent May, the tilt of her head from Jemma, the rather confused look from Skye, the _'What the hell is going on?!' _look from Tripp and the proud smile from Agent Coulson.

And all Leo could do was smile over Grant's shoulder everyone while flashing them all a look of his own he hoped indicated _'Yeah, that's right, we're brothers now. Jealous much?!' _

Grant had refused to talk about the hug with the rest of their team afterwards, instead threatening to shoot them all with I.C.E.R.'s if they even dared to tease him about it. Luckily they all kept quiet and let him be, well, everyone except for Skye of course, who teased him relentlessly at every opportunity that she got. He never shot her with an I.C.E.R. though, because as Leo had so nicely teased him about when they were alone was how he'd never be able to hurt the woman that he was secretly in love with.

* * *

**VI.**

The sixth time they hugged wasn't initiated by Grant at all, but by Leo.

The team had since taken sanctuary at a secret base called Providence that was run by Agent Eric Koenig. They'd taken refuge and sanctuary there after having nowhere else to turn to once Agent Garrett had managed to escape from Agent Hand's custody en-route to The Fridge. The two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that had helped to escort him had both been sleeper agents for HYDRA and had shot and killed Agent Hand in cold blood, releasing Agent Garrett in the process before promptly disappearing with him.

Grant had declined the chance to go with Agent Hand as an escort knowing that as soon as he got the chance he'd put a bullet in the head of his former S.O. and once mentor, which wouldn't have been a bad thing, but he hadn't wanted anymore blood on his hands at the time. Instead he'd decided to stay behind with his fellow teammates and had followed them all to Providence when Agent Coulson had gotten the message to head there.

After passing his lie detector test Grant had set off walking down the corridors of the Providence base in search of seeking out Skye so he could spend some time with her, as well as hopefully get that long awaited promised drink they'd agreed upon. But as he'd turned a corner he'd stumbled upon Leo strolling down the corridor towards him instead.

"Hey there, Ward" smiled Leo, as he came to a stop in front of him.

"Hey, Fitz. I got my lanyard" smiled Grant, as he held it up for him to see.

"Nice!" grinned Leo, pinging it with his finger.

"So are you guys taking off?" asked Grant.

"Yeah. I wish you were coming..." mumbled Leo. "...instead of Tripp. He's insufferable, isn't he?"

"Tripp? I think the guy's okay" shrugged Grant.

"I know. He's terrible! He's a horrible person!" sighed Leo, looking up at him.

"Are you sure this is about him? And not about Simmons?" asked Grant curiously.

"What the hell does that mean?" frowned Leo.

"Everything is falling apart around us. We don't know how it'll end. If there's something you want to tell her, don't wait" said Grant with a knowing smile.

"You know you should maybe take your own advice when it comes to Skye" said Leo, as he folded his arms across his chest indignantly. "And then maybe I will with Jemma."

"Well, for your information I was just on my way to find Skye now and have a drink with her" smirked Grant, as he too folded his arms across his chest indignantly. "So at that I will if you will."

"Alright, fine, you're on!" laughed Leo. "This is going to end so very badly. I just know it."

"No it won't" smiled Grant. "Have faith, bro. There's no way Simmons is into Tripp. You're the one she wants. That's what I've always believed."

"Yeah?" smiled Leo at the thought.

"Yeah" smiled Grant. "You'll never know until you try though, so make sure you do. Tell her how you really feel before it's too late."

"I will" nodded Leo. "And you better do the same with Skye."

"I'm gonna be having Whiskey to help me tell Skye how I really feel so you can bet that I will eventually" chuckled Grant, as he smacked Leo on his arm playfully. "You better get going or Agent Coulson will come looking for you."

"I still wish you were coming instead of Tripp" sighed Leo.

"I know. Agent Coulson did ask me, but there's no way in hell I'm leaving Skye here on this base all alone after everything that's happened recently, so just this once Tripp is going with you guys instead" said Grant, flashing him a small smile.

"Technically Skye wouldn't be all alone if you came with us because Agent May is still here to help protect her" grinned Leo.

"Technically that is true" chuckled Grant, shaking his head. "But truthfully if all goes well with Skye then I'm hoping for an undisturbed make out session that a certain agent who likes to think he's her adoptive father isn't around to witness."

"Good luck with that, bro" laughed Leo. "Because you forget there's a certain agent that likes to think she's her adoptive mother still hanging around too and she's even scarier!"

"Then I guess I'll just have to lock her in her bunk then won't I?" chuckled Grant. "Or maybe I could bribe Agent Koenig to distract her for a while."

"Well either way have fun" smiled Leo.

Grant simply nodded in response as he once again smacked Leo on his arm. "Be careful out there."

"I will be" said Leo, before frowning. "And what's with the arm smacks all of a sudden?! I do not prefer them to hugs!"

"Huh?" said Grant, quirking a brow at him. "I never even asked if you did."

"Oh, just come here already!" sighed Leo frustratedly, as he reached out towards Grant and pulled him into his arms for a hug, smacking him on his back playfully as he did so. "Now isn't this much better?"

Grant just snorted before chuckling, as he happily hugged him back. "Whatever you say, Fitz."

They hugged for a few minutes, quite happily, before Leo eventually pulled away knowing he had to get going. "I'll see you later."

"You better" smiled Grant, as he set off walking down the corridor in search of Skye once more, but not before calling out to Leo one last time. "Later, Leo."

"I will" smiled Leo, as he watched Grant walk off before he himself set off down the opposite corridor in search of Agent Coulson. He couldn't help but smile to himself when he heard Grant call him by his first name instead of his surname, which prompted him to call out in response while Grant could still hear him. "Later, Grant."

And when Grant heard Leo respond by calling him his first name over his surname he couldn't help but also smile once more, before he resumed in his search of Skye so they could finally get that drink together.

* * *

Grant Ward didn't do hugs, unless you were Leo Fitz, and later in due time Skye and Jemma Simmons.

Grant Ward didn't do showing affection, unless you were his two close friends and girlfriend.

Grant Ward didn't do letting people know he cared about them, unless you were his teammates, who he considered his family.

Because even Grant Ward had to admit to himself that sometimes even he had to show those he cared about, and loved, how he felt every once in a while.

So Grant Ward started to hug his surrogate little brother Leo Fitz often, soon doing the same with his surrogate little sister Jemma Simmons.

Skye, however, as his girlfriend, which she became the night of that long awaited drink, got more hugs than anyone.

As for the others on his team they all silently agreed that hugs weren't for them, yet all knowing deep down that Grant, along with themselves, cared about each other, and they always would.


End file.
